Chapter 61
BLAIRE
“How long are you going to keep this up?” he asked me, frowning while both of his hands were placed on either side of his waist.
We are now staying in the main villa, and since we left the cabin, I haven’t taken anything but water. He still hasn’t given me my phone back, and I’m pretty persistent about getting it back by h ook or by crook. I need to talk to my son. I can’t continue staying here and pretending as if we’re the only people in the world when my son is out there trying to survive on his own.
Sylvia is an angel. She has been very reliable when it comes to taking care of my son. But I still couldn’t change the fact that she’s still basically a stranger to us. Despite that, I’m still more willing to leave my son under her care than to allow Sebastian to know the truth about our son.
I need to make sure I know what’s going on inside his head before I decide to introduce him to my son. I can’t take the risk of telling him the truth without making sure that he’s not going to take him away from me.
“For as long as I can,” I responded. I’m currently staying in the room, locking myself in. But obviously, he had the key; that’s why he’s known for standing at the end of the bed, looking irritated.
“You haven’t eaten anything since this morning! Do you have any idea what time it is right now?”
I’m well aware of how long it has been since I decided to do a hunger strike against Sebastian. He isn’t the only one counting every minute passed since this morning. My stomach has been growling non- stop, and I’m starting to have a migraine. Despite all of that, I endured everything and didn’t give up. I
need that phone, and if starving myself to death is the only way to get what I want, then that’s what I’m going to do.
I looked outside the window and noticed that it was already dark outside. I decided to stay silent.
“Are you trying to kill yourself?!” He raises his voice. Irritation was evident in his voice. I can hear his deep breath, probably from frustration, but I didn’t try to look his way. It didn’t take long before I heard him blow a loud breath. “Fine!” he shouted before walking towards his drawer. I fetched a key from his pocket and opened it. From there, he grabbed my phone before handing it over to me. “Do you promise to eat after
you make your call?” he asked in a calming manner.
I was about to get the phone from his hand when he quickly moved it away, preventing
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me from getting it. “I need an answer, Blaire,” he asked in a serious tone.
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“Yes, I promise,” I answered immediately. With that, he proceeded to give me back my phone. Upon getting it, I quickly ran towards the bathroom and locked myself in. I know Sebastian has the key to all the doors in this house, but I have a feeling that he will not try to open it this time.
I’m glad that my phone’s battery isn’t dead. I quickly dialed Sylvia’s number to call her. Just a few rings, and she immediately answers the phone.
“Blaire! We’ve been worried about you! Thank Go d you called!” she greeted me. “Blaze has been asking about you nonstop,” she reported.
“I’m fine, Sylvia. Thank you for taking care of Blaze for me. Is he awake? Can I talk to him?”
“Yes, he’s awake. Here,” she said before handing the phone to my son. A few seconds later, I finally heard the innocent voice of Blaze.
“Mom,” he said. He sounded as if he’s about to cry any moment now.
“Hey, baby. How are you?” I uttered, trying to cheer up my voice so he wouldn’t get worried.
“Mom!” His voice cr ackled over the phone, the unmistakable sound of tears welling up. “I miss you so much, Mom!”
A soft chuckle escaped my lips, a mix of amusement and affection. “I’m sorry for making you worry, baby. But I’m fine. I just can’t come to you for a little while since I have work to do. Please take care of yourself, okay? I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I reassured, my words carrying the warmth of a mother’s love across the distance.
He sniffled on the other end of the line, his voice a mixture of emotions. “I know, Mom, but it’s scary here without you. Can’t you come to the hospital sooner?”
My heart tugged at his words, the maternal instinct intensifying. “I wish I could, sweetheart. But you know I’m doing this for you, right? I promise we’ll be together again soon. For now, be brave for me. I need you to be strong. I’ll come to you as soon as I’m free.”
“I’ll try, Mom. Just promise you’ll come back,” he pleaded, his vulnerability wrapping around my heart.
“I promise, my love. Cross my heart. Now, take good care of yourself and listen to Sylvia, alright?”
“Okay, Mom. I love you.”
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“I love you too, more than you can imagine. Goodnight, baby.”
The connection ended, leaving me with a bittersweet ache in my chest. As I gazed out into the night, the twi nkling stars seemed to echo the distant lullabies only a mother’s heart could sing.
I ended the call and stepped out of the bathroom, only to find Sebastian waiting outside the door with dark eyes glaring at me. A nervous gulp escaped me as I observed how his jaw clenched in anger. “Has he been listening to me in the bathroom?” I wondered to myself. Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.
Sebastian’s voice, low and intense, sliced through the tension. “Who were you talking to, Blaire?”
I hesitated, unsure of how much he might have overheard. “It’s none of your business,” I answered, trying to hide my fear beneath the strong facade I’m playing in front of him.
His gaze remained piercing. “Are you that worried that your man might not be willing to wait for you if you don’t call him? Is that the reason why you starved yourself just so you could have your call?” he accused me.
“Think whatever you want, Sebastian. But I have nothing to explain to you,” I replied cautiously, feeling the weight of his scrutiny intensify.
He glared at me as if weighing whether this topic was worth the argument. I was praying that he’d drop this topic. I’m afraid that the more he asks, the more chance there is that he will discover the truth about Blaze. I’m still not ready to tell him the truth.
I let out a sigh of relief when he finally stopped glaring at me, a sign that he had finally let go
of this conversation. He then grabbed my hand and started leading me out of the
room.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“To eat. Isn’t that our deal?” He answered without bothering to look at me.
I clenched the phone in my hand tightly. I thought about the following days and decided that we’d be staying here. I need to make sure that he will not do what he did today. I need access to my phone all the time so I can check on Blaze.
I immediately withdraw my hand from his grasp. He wasn’t expecting it, so he turned
my direction with a frown on his forehead.
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“Wait,” I said.
He just looked at me with scrutinous eyes.
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“Before I eat, I need to make sure that you’re not going to hide my phone again. I need access to my phone all the time. And you’re not going to stop me from calling anyb*dy. I’m not a prisoner here, am I?”
“For a paid mistress, you’re becoming more and more demanding.” His words cut through my heart like a knife. The painful truth lingered in the air-yes, I was his paid mistress.
A defensive edge tinged my response: “I wouldn’t be demanding if you hadn’t brought me here to this isolated island.”
“I wouldn’t have brought you here if you just stopped running away from me every chance you got,” he retorted, his words carrying a weight of frustration and unspoken emotions. The isolated island, a backdrop for our complicated history, seemed to echo the unresolved tension that had brought us to this secluded place.
“Do we have a deal?” I asked once again, sidestepping the underlying tension in the air.
He let out a loud breath, a reluctant acknowledgement of our unspoken agreement. “Fine. You can have your phone back.”
His gaze bore into mine, searching for something I wasn’t ready to reveal. “Why are you so secretive about your phone, Blaire?”
I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “It’s personal. I just prefer to keep certain things private.”
“Personal?” He scoffed. “We’re way past personal boundaries in our relationship.”
“Relationship?” I countered, emphasizing the word with a touch of bitterness. “Let’s not kid ourselves, Sebastian. This is a transaction, not a relationship.”
His expression remained stoic as he locked eyes with me. The inner workings of his mind were inscrutable. After a moment of silence, he reached for my hand once more before gently pulling me outside the room.
We continued to walk until we were finally outside. The moment I stepped out of the house, the crisp breeze greeted us, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the breathtaking table arrangement set near the shore. The moon cast a soft glow on the scene, accentuating the elegance of the setup. A table adorned with fine linens, delicate candlelight, and exquisite flowers awaited us, creating an atmosphere that whispered of both romance and mystery. It was a tableau that seemed carefully crafted to unravel the complexities between us under the moonlit sky.
Did he prepare all of these for me?